BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – WKU Hilltopper Basketball defeated Austin Peay, 65-64, on Saturday afternoon in E.A. Diddle Arena to secure a fifth consecutive victory. The win marks the 12th straight victory over the Governors and improves the Tops' record to 9-3 on the season.
Don McHenry once again led the way for the Tops in the scoring column, charting 16 points along with six rebounds, three assists and a steal. Jalen Jackson played the role of floor general, dishing out six of the teams 14 assists while grabbing three rebounds, a steal and the game-sealing block as time expired.
Rodney Howard led the team in steals with two, while charting 12 points and four rebounds. Brandon Newman tied McHenry for the game-high in rebounds with a total of six to go with seven points, one assist and a steal.
The Hilltoppers struck first as Jackson found Babacar Faye for a slam two minutes into the game to break the scoreless tie. A pair of made free throws by Faye gave him the first four points of the game and the Hilltoppers a 4-3 lead going into the first media break.
Tyrone Marshall Jr. found Khristian Lander on the right wing for the team's first three of the game. Enoch Kalambay connected on a three from the right corner to push the Tops into double figures and give WKU a 12-6 lead with just over 12 minutes to play in the half.
After drawing contact and converting on a three-point play, the Tops first double-digit lead of the night, 20-10, came from the hot hand of McHenry who notched a three from the left wing.
McHenry and Howard led the way for the Tops in the first half, each going for eight points. WKU charted a perfect 5-of-5 mark from the charity stripe in the first.
Entering the second half, McHenry recorded the first points of the period with a 2-point lay-in. After the Governors cut the Tops' lead down to four, Jackson found Lander who connected from beyond the arc to bring the lead back out to seven with 16:15 left.
Dontaie Allen drew contact driving to the basket and recorded his first two points of the day off a pair of made free throws to give the Tops a double-digit lead once again, 52-41. Following a defensive board from Faye, Marshall Jr. found Allen for a deep three with 10:02 to play in regulation.
After a nearly five-minute stretch without a field goal, the Governors found the bottom of the net with 8:19 to play. The bucket sparked a 12-2 Austin Peay run which cut the Tops' lead to three with 5:46 remaining.
Kalambay converted on a free throw to snap a scoreless drought for WKU and extend the Tops lead to 60-56. A triple for the Governors on the right wing tied the game at 61 apiece with 4:09 remaining.
Out of the under four timeout, Marshall Jr. elevated over a defender for a slam to ignite the crowd and give WKU a 63-61 lead with 2:48 to play. McHenry went coast-to-coast and converted on a layup to give the Tops a four-point lead, 65-61, with 2:27 left in regulation.
Austin Peay cut the lead to one off a made three with 1:37 to play. After a WKU foul with six seconds remaining, Jackson recorded the game-saving block as the final horn blew and WKU defeated Austin Peay, 65-64.
Saturday's game against Austin Peay saw WKU hold a lead through 35:26 total minutes of play. The Tops never trailed for the entirety of regulation.
The win over Austin Peay marks 12 consecutive victories over the Govs dating back to 1999. WKU now holds a 44-14 all-time advantage facing the Governors in a series that dates back to 1941.
WKU moves to 9-3 overall for the year.
The Hilltoppers will return to road play next week and head out west to take on Cal Baptist on Tuesday, Dec. 19. Tipoff is slated for 9 p.m. CT with ESPN+ set to broadcast the event.
Follow the team on social media (@wkubasketball) for the latest news and updates on all things Hilltopper Basketball. Visit wkusports.com for more information.
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